CETA and the Feminist Art Movement

From 1974 to 1981, more than 10,000 artists, actors, writers and musicians were employed under the federally funded Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). An additional 10,x000 arts support jobs (museum curators, program directors, docents and guards; theatre technicians, lighting and costume designers; arts administrators and office staff) were funded. CETA especially benefited women and artists of color. Judy Baca’s Great Wall of Los Angeles was enabled with CETA grants. In the middle-to-late 70s, CETA paid staff salaries at LA’s Woman’s Building and the Women’s Studio Workshop. at Women Artist News and HERESIES, and at alternative art spaces like ARC, N.A.M.E., Hallwalls and LACE. This panel will discuss how this little known government program and its support of women artists helped give rise to the feminist art movement.